Baltics

Engage yourself in the most complete Game Wave Festival, where business, learning, and enjoyment merge!

Published

2 years ago

June 28, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Game Wave Festival is an international event taking place for the second year in a row from September 27th to October 2nd in Tallinn, Estonia at Tallink Spa & Conference Hotel. The first three days of six-day-event are dedicated to the game jam.

The Game Wave Festival is a business, education and entertainment event for the gaming industry professionals. It first took place with great success in September 2021 in Jūrmala, Latvia attracting participants from 25 countries.

“Game Wave Festival is an expressive way to celebrate glorious game development heritage, culture and traditions, meet new and old faces, and have fun. It is professional, oriented to have serious business talks, and cozy, to make friends with almost all attendees. I am happy to welcome all of you to the 2nd Game Wave Festival!” — Ints Viksna, Chairman of Board at Latvian Technological center.

The festival is mainly B2B, however, it is designed to avoid the “stiffness” these types of events sometimes have. Game Wave Festival attempts to capture the fun and relaxed ambiance we’ve experienced in other global and regional game events. GWF is large enough to get an overview of the main tendencies in the Nordic and Baltic region, and small enough to make friends with all participants – The friendships you will make in GWF, will follow you all your life.

Main event and B2Match

30.09. – 02.10. The Main Event: Conference, workshops, expo, pitching competitions, business meetings and game jam final presentation.
The conference and interactive events are divided into 5 tracks: General, Art (visual, audial, haptics), Unreal Engine, XR and Board Games.
The online matchmaking platform is available for all participants all 6 days, and the meetings can also be booked on-site. Registered members of the matchmaking will be able to participate both on-site and online.
GWF uses the B2Match meeting and event management platform that works both on web browsers and mobile devices. This platform also handles video calls and conference streaming, so all functionality needed by the participants is neatly in one place.
There will be a private Business area for business ticket holders in Tallink’s Fidel Bar with a nice view of the old town.

The first three days of the six-day-event are dedicated to the game jam

Awesome game jam runs from September 27th to 29th. The game jam’s theme and diversifiers of the jam will be decided by the jam sponsors. However, the game jam does not end on the 3rd day, instead, the final ceremony is on the 6th day of GWF. This is by design so that the teams can improve their games by attending workshops and even pitch them in and get feedback in our “Early stage games mentor pitch”.

Three unique game pitching opportunities:

1 to 1 board games author and publisher pitch in a private, closed space, where publishers can take their time to test the game and converse with the authors.
Early stage mentor pitch for anyone not ready for any other pitches, but still willing to train, test their prototype and get feedback. Jammers are welcome.
Nordic Game Discovery Contest Baltic semi-finals where developers from Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania can showcase their games to publishers and industry experts and compete for a place in the finals.

Three special event parties, including Business Afterparty and Pool party

The Business Party (29.09.2022) will be available for organizers, speakers, partners and business ticket holders only.
The Pool party (30.09.2022) will be available for organizers, speakers, partners, business ticket holders only and pool party ticket holders. There will be access to the pool area, sauna, hot tubs and a quieter area by the bar.
The Afterparty (01.10.2022) will be available for almost everyone (except for student ticket holders). It will feature Marioke, a feast table and a quieter area for business conversations.

The 3 day expo for game companies, art, technology & education

The expo will be of interest to anyone who has a professional or a hobby curiosity about topics related to game companies, art, technology and education. Learning from last year’s success and good feedback, GWF will place staff members to guard the hall, so that the expo participants are not tied down at their booths for 3 days.

Baltics

Evoplay expands Baltic presence with new Optibet collaboration

Published

4 days ago

December 19, 2024

George Miller

evoplay-expands-baltic-presence-with-new-optibet-collaboration

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has announced its latest partnership with leading Baltic operator Optibet, part of Entain, marking a strategic expansion in Lithuania and Estonia.

Through the agreement, Optibet now offers over 70 of Evoplay’s premium slot titles to its customers in both markets, including popular games such as The Greatest Catch Bonus Buy, Elven Princesses, and Fruit Super Nova.

Optibet, part of global gaming giant Entain, is a trusted operator across the Baltics, providing Evoplay with a solid foundation to grow its presence in the region.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

This exclusive partnership underscores both companies’ commitment to delivering top-tier gaming experiences and increasing engagement within these key markets.

Ihor Zarechnyi, CBDO at Evoplay, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Optibet, a trusted name across the Baltics, to bring our games to players in Lithuania and Estonia.”

“This collaboration marks an important step in our commitment to expanding in regulated markets and offering tailored experiences that resonate with local audiences.”

Janis Bariss, Entain Head of Gaming Baltics & Nordics, said: “Optibet is dedicated to providing our players with the best in gaming entertainment and partnering with Evoplay allows us to deliver an exciting range of content that adds real value to our portfolio.”

“Evoplay’s innovative approach and diverse game selection will be a fantastic addition to our online casinos in Lithuania and Estonia, and we’re looking forward to seeing the impact it has on our audience.”

The post Evoplay expands Baltic presence with new Optibet collaboration appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Baltics

Lithuania to Ban Gambling Ads

Published

1 month ago

November 14, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday approved restrictions on gambling advertising, set to take effect from next July.

The amendments to the Gaming Law, passed with 73 votes in favour and one abstention, will introduce a ban on gambling advertising starting in July 2025. Exceptions will apply to sports competitions and events, as well as sports sponsorships and broadcasts of sports competitions, which will have a transitional period until January 1, 2028.

Next year’s budget for the Media Support Fund earmarks an additional 4 million euros to compensate media organisations for lost advertising revenue.

Among other things, MPs backed a proposal from the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance to have a transitional period until the end of 2027, allowing up to three betting ad spots of under 15 seconds each per hour on television, radio and online between 06:00 and 18:00 and up to two per hour between 18:00 and midnight.

For online media, betting ads without a direct link to the gaming operator’s website will be limited to 20% of advertising space from 06:00 to 18:00 and 10% until midnight.

The post Lithuania to Ban Gambling Ads appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Baltics

Genome launches SEPA instant payments, adding another valuable feature for iGaming companies

Published

2 months ago

October 29, 2024

George Miller

genome-launches-sepa-instant-payments,-adding-another-valuable-feature-for-igaming-companies

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Genome (UAB Maneuver LT) has introduced SEPA Instant Transfers for all its clients. Companies can now make instant euro payments within seconds to optimize cash flow and improve operational efficiency across the Eurozone.
Additionally, SEPA Instant Transfers can be used for batch Transfers, making mass payments even more effective for companies, particularly the iGaming businesses.

“SEPA Instant Transfers enable quick payments in the Eurozone, improving cash flow and scheduling flexibility for business partners – a very crucial feature for modern-day companies that conduct operations online,” explained Genome’s CEO, Daumantas Barauskas.

SEPA Instant Transfers will be priced the same as regular SEPA Credit Transfers, ensuring users enjoy the convenience of instant transactions without any additional costs.

The feature has gone live shortly before the SiGMA Europe conference that Genome’s team will be attending. Businesses can learn more about SEPA Instant Transfers and other iGaming services Genome provides at booth #3102 or by booking a meeting.

“SEPA Instant Transfers is not the only service Genome offers iGaming companies. For one, they can streamline their financial operations with our API for mass payouts and B2C2B payments. We are currently developing the incoming payment notifications service via API (API for pay-ins). This feature will notify iGaming companies about client pay-ins in real-time. We also provide contactless physical and virtual Visa Business cards for media buying and other corporate expenses, with the added convenience of Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Garmin Pay compatibility. Additionally, a dedicated IBAN account simplifies B2B transactions, and the Genome iOS and Android apps ensure real-time financial management anytime, anywhere,” concluded Daumantas Barauskas.

The post Genome launches SEPA instant payments, adding another valuable feature for iGaming companies appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.